The world didn’t stop turning, but it sure felt like it did when Astra turned her gaze on Eydis. The students themselves had quieted, perhaps curious to see what would happen next between the infamous Ice Princess and the equally infamous outcast.

  Crimson eyes traced Eydis’s features, lingering long enough to mean something. Eydis had an arsenal of sharp retorts ready, but they evaporated as quickly as soon as Astra spoke.

  “You okay?”

  The question caught Eydis off guard, but she quickly composed herself.

  “An intriguing concern, roomie, though perhaps better aimed a few seats down, at the one consoling herself with that...” Eydis nodded at Natalia’s tray. "Whatever that is."

  Natalia cradled the partially devoured pie closer to her chest as if to protect its feelings.

  “Eydis,” Astra exhaled. “Straight answer would be nice.”

  "Straight? How uninspired.” Eydis tilted her head, oblivious to how Astra’s eyes narrowed at the unintended double meaning. “A little ambiguity keeps life exciting, would you not agree?”

  Next to her, Colette almost choked on her sandwich.

  “Are you?” Astra persisted.

  The phrasing jarred Eydis, making her wonder whether she had botched yet another idiom. “Am I?”

  “You’re deflecting.”

  “It’s a learned skill,” Eydis teased. “The same way I’ve trained myself to interpret your minimalistic three-word statements.”

  Astra’s mouth quirked slightly. “Minimalistic? At least I say what I mean,” she said, abandoning her usual three-word replies, “while you hide meaning under layers of flowery nonsense.”

  Eydis’s smirk wavered. She was accustomed to dominating conversations, yet Astra met her every move, step for step. Ice Princess? No. This was a blizzard with lightning buried inside.

  With calculated boldness, Eydis stood, leaned in and brushed a stray silver strand behind Astra’s ear, her fingers lingering near warm skin. A deliberate provocation.

  “I didn’t realise you were paying such intimate attention to my… lexicon.”

  Astra's expression remained neutral, though her breath hitched subtly.

  Eydis couldn’t suppress a smile.

  “You’re the one who pushed for more ‘quality time,’” Astra whispered, eyelids lowering. “Vanishing for days on end wasn’t exactly… that.”

  So that empty dorm bed hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  “Why, Astra, did you miss my stimulating presence?”

  Astra gave her a look. “Never mind. Just watch yourself. Tiffany’s people are missing.”

  Tiffany’s people?

  As Astra turned to leave, Eydis grabbed her wrist and whispering a smooth half-truth. “I’ve been holing up in the library’s back office these days. Turns out, books are better at stealing hours than most people are at keeping them.”

  “That said,” she added in an intimate tone, “if you’re suffering from Eydis withdrawal, I could alleviate it tonight.”

  Astra pulled free with a scoff and walked away without looking back. “Eydis withdrawal. Right.”

  She vanished into the crowd with the dignity of someone determined not to look like they’d just fled. Unsuccessfully, at that. The tips of her ears tinged red.

  The surrounding students resumed eating, studiously avoiding eye contact with Eydis, who could not have cared less. She flexed her fingers, still buzzing from the feel of Astra’s pulse.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Captivating, Eydis mused with a private smile. My elusive roommate deserves a closer study.

  Colette squealed. “Did you see that tension? It's sizzling and I swear I smelled barbecue. Also, why is everything always roasted here, never grilled?”

  “Open flame is hazardous, Col,” Birgit said, sipping her juice. She turned to Eydis, starting, “Wait, are you finally making a mov—“ before Colette’s hand clapped over her mouth.

  Eyes still on the doorway Astra had gone through, Eydis answered absently, “A move? Oh, no. Not even close. Yet.”

  Astra’s power wasn’t something you confronted head-on. It eclipsed even Envy, so challenging her would be downright imbecilic. For now, she’d keep her distance.

  The Koala Twins gasped, clearly drawing the wrong conclusion.

  Natalia’s eyes flicked to the shadows under Eydis’s eyes. “Are you still… captivated? I mean, losing sleep over it?”

  Eydis tensed. “Yes,” she said, uncertain if Natalia referred to her glyph studies or something else.

  Natalia released an awkward chuckle as Eydis mulled Astra’s words.

  There were multiple students missing from campus, which implied more victims than just Jillian, whom Envy ate. Given that Amanda had already been found alive with Tiffany, who else was unaccounted for?

  And which of her Sins was responsible?

  Tiffany sat across from Athena in one of St. Kevin’s small meeting rooms. She didn’t say anything, or maybe she couldn’t.

  And neither did she have to.

  Athena examined her closely. Tiffany’s skin, always fair, now appeared spectral. Her eyes were still technically blue, but there was no light or clarity in them.

  Athena locked her eyes onto Tiffany’s. Starting with a gentle mental nudge, she eased deeper, slowly navigating the intricate mental lattice where thoughts and memories could be read. The eyes were her usual entry point.

  Normally, Athena didn’t have to do that. Thoughts were loud enough to reach her without trying but with comatose victims, more effort was needed. This time, it did not work. Tiffany’s blue eyes opened to emptiness; there was not even reflexive mental resistance under her mind probing.

  Athena extended her reach beyond what should have been necessary. Still, void. The spark, the… soul that defined Tiffany, had vanished.

  Withdrawing carefully, Athena rose and stepped into the hall, closing the door with a quiet click.

  Adrian waited, arms folded. “Tell me I’m wrong to worry.”

  “She’s not dead,” Athena said softly. “But Tiffany’s mind is gone. We need to return her to her father.”

  Adrian raked a hand through his hair. “I squeezed him earlier. Got nothing. No clue about the smoke thing either?”

  “Not in Tiffany, no. No magic or any consciousness left behind. Whatever did this… it’s beyond anything we’ve seen.”

  Adrian’s follow-up question halted as soon as they heard footsteps pounding down the corridor.

  Thomas Blackwood rounded the corner and gripped Adrian’s arm. “Where’s my daughter? What did you do?”

  “In there,” Adrian answered. “She’s unresponsive. Something unknown tampered with her psyche. We don’t have the full picture yet, so we proceed with care.”

  “Proceed with care?” Thomas barked, then turned to Athena. “Your council can’t keep children safe. Something dark’? That’s your excuse?”

  Adrian interposed himself. “Confidentiality isn’t optional, sir. Let us handle the investigation.”

  “And who decides what stays confidential?” Thomas sneered, green eyes glinting like a warning.

  Athena wondered whether this was truly out of concern for Tiffany, or if it was Thomas—

  “Thomas Blackwood,” Adrian intercepted, his demeanour growing icier. The gold in his eyes brightened."Your daughter was involved in an unfortunate incident. She's in a catatonic state. Take her home. Remember. Remember this. This is the truth, the only truth that matters."

  Thomas inhaled sharply, gold flashing briefly in his green eyes before they dulled to dark emerald. His posture sagged. “Yes, sir.”

  He walked into the room and soon after walked out with Tiffany in his arms, leaving without another word.

  Once they were out of sight, Adrian faced Athena. “What about Amanda?”

  “Identical situation,” Athena replied. “Vegetative. You ready to break the news to her family?”

  “After coffee,” Adrian muttered. “This isn’t random, is it?”

  “No. Four other students are missing. Theo and Astra are on night patrol.”

  "How?” Adrian asked. “Aren’t there barriers around the academy? How the did anyone get through?”

  “Jillian vanished inside the walls. The rest disappeared on the last town trip,” Athena explained.

  "Town trip? And they paired Theo and Astra? What is this, Game of Thrones: Ice and Ire?"

  "Astra’s… warming up a little. Almost seems relaxed, believe it or not,” Athena said, amused.

  “She glared at me yesterday.”

  “She glared at everyone,” Athena said with a laugh. “But don’t take it personally. This time it felt… less lethal. She even volunteered for town trip duty tomorrow.”

  Adrian stared blankly. “Astra. Volunteered. To guard teenagers.”

  “Miracles happen.”

  “Wow. Things might actually get a little less… chil-ling around here.”

  Athena sighed. “You’re such a nerd sometimes.”

  “I like to think of them as undervalued wordplays.”

  Athena rolled her eyes but smiled. “Come on. Coffee?”

  “Only if I get to treat my little sister,” Adrian said with a fond smile.

  Athena chuckled and walked ahead. Adrian’s excessive flamenoyance was just his way of easing her mind. But she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear over what might happen next. It felt like someone was weaving a spiderweb she could not decipher.

  Shaking her head, Athena pushed the ridiculous thought away. After all, she was well acquainted with the chess master of this world, and whether she liked it or not, she trusted he would never let anything unusual escape his notice.